Never Again
by greeniydgirl
Summary: After the defeat of Voldemort, the wizarding world breathes a sigh of relief...their troubles are finally over...or are they? Rated T for now but probably M later on.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

The sun gently cascaded onto Harry Potter, leaving a lingering warmth on his bruised and ram shackled body. He had finally done it. He, along with countless others, have finally defeated the darkest wizard of their time.

The _lives_ that had been lost, the _blood _that had been split, the _families_ that have been torn apart. All the despairs of humanity rising to a great overbearing crescendo, have finally silenced but not in vain.

A single drop of sweat slowly made its way down Harry's face, stinging on the way towards the tip of his nose. He heaved a great, shuttering sigh and knelt down on one knee. The amount of emotions that speeding and thrusting its way throughout his body became almost unbearable.

His whole life has lead up to this point. His whole existence and reason for life was built up for this one moment. And it was finally over.

Harry's green eyes slowly cascaded over the debris that he once called his home. The wrinkles around his eyes seemed almost like an accident. His face too youthful, yet, displayed age and stress. Deep, dark bags lined his once vibrant eyes. Wrinkles around his mouth and eyes were obviously not from smiling or laughing.

"Harry!" Hermione called out as she jogged over to where he was knelt. She came to a quick halt and dropped down beside him, her chest heaving from the exertion.

"Come, come with me," She gently wrapped her arm around him and lead him inside the Great Hall.

Cheers erupted as soon as they stepped foot inside. Adults and children rose from their seats and raised their arms in formation, wildly clapping, all at the same time. The adults uncharacteristically jumped on the tables, waved their arms and danced around.

Harry was not in the mood, but the _generations_ of people here that day needed this more than anything. The ones who spent decades watching their friends and family die, constantly looking over their shoulder and bearing witness to the worst of human kind this century has seen. They deserved to breath their sigh of relief.

"Everyone!" Harry yelled into the crowd after some time. Silence fell like a heavy blanket, a small _pop _from a champagne bottle could be heard further back in the dining hall.

"I appreciate all the gratitude everyone has shown me." Harry said "But the only reason any of us are here now, celebrating, is because of each sacrifice, great and small, that have lead _all_ of us here."

"Here, Here!" roared the crowd.

The partying once again erupted into full swing. "Let's go, Harry", Ron whispered

The trio slipped effortlessly from the crowd and made their way to the courtyard.

The three stood there, taking turns looking at each other, smiling. If no one knew what to say, it was okay, just being alive and being together was enough.

* * *

The weeks following the defeat of Voldemort flew by. There was a flurry of interviews, parties and funerals. Harry avoided the interviews and most parties but dutifully and respectively made his peace with the deceased.

The hardest ones were Fred's, Tonks and Lupins funerals.

George refused to have his brothers funeral be remembered as depressing. "He'd want his funeral exactly like he'd want his life-full of pranks" George told Harry. And George stood by his word, giving the crowd of onlookers the shock of their lives when Fred's casket was brought to the grave yard on a flying carpet and when it was placed in the ground, a masquerade of musically induced fireworks erupted from the open grave.

George's face remained stoic throughout the whole spectacle but Harry could see in his eyes that he knew he was doing right by his brother.

Lupins funeral was small but respectful. He was placed alongside Tonks, in her family plot. A small group of people gathered to give their respects to the two heroic couple that died by each others side.

As the line formed to walk single filed up to the caskets to give their one last respect to the two, Harry picked up Teddy to bring him along to see his parents, one last time. When it was their turn Harry walked gravely up to the man he felt he was as close to as an uncle. Teddy cooed in his arms as Harry's thoughts drifted to the Marauders. Not one of the four friends lived to see the age of forty. Harry had to tilt his head back to avoid having any tears fight their way out of his eyes. _Not one. _For the rest of the day Harrys thoughts traveled to the four lively, talented young men whose lives were either cut short or destroyed by Voldemort.

_Never again. _


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with the HP franchise. Also, I'm going to ignore the fact that Harry was dating Ginny Weasley. I'm trying to stay true to the rest of the facts about HP but it's likely a few are going to be overlooked. Thank you for reading! ^_^

Chapter 2.

The setting sun illuminated the calm lake Harry was walking by. Cherry red and deep oranges glistened and jumped gently off the surface, creating a stunning, yet greatly overlooked, dazzling display of natures artistic abilities. Harry pulled his bike over and propped it up on a nearby evergreen. He settled himself down on a rickety, forgotten bench and relaxed his shoulders as he took in the show nature was presenting for him.

It was early fall now, months after the devastation of Hogwarts and and Voldemort. Harry thought it to be best to take the next year off to live life and to sow his wild oats, if you will, before continuing his education to become an Auror. He quietly slipped out of the prying eyes of the public and made his way to America, into a muggle town and continued living his life almost magic free. It's not that Harry enjoyed living as a muggle but he desperately yearned for a change. After living a year full of action packed adventure and soul shattering revelations and deaths, Harry welcomed a hum drum and simplistic lifestyle for the time being.

Loud giggling shook Harry from his thoughts and he craned his neck to peer at the noise that emanated from behind him. Seconds later, a small gaggle of teenage girls appeared, walking by on the side walk that was horizontal to the bench Harry was sitting on. Without them noticing him, Harry was able to fully appreciate their young bodies without their distasteful looks ruining his gaze. He continued to enjoy the view until they completely passed his view. By this point, the moon has made a full appearance and the gentle lake, even though looked hypnotizing with the soft grays and whites that danced provocatively across the lake, seemed unappealing to Harry. He pushed himself off the dilapidated bench and headed towards his flat in the dark.

Harry had settled down in New Jersey for the time being. _"Oh Harry, of all places, you might as well stay in Knockturn Alley!" _Hermione quipped to him before his departure. Harry grinned to himself at the thought of his motherly-like friend. But he didn't mind this area. It was relatively quiet and peaceful. Exactly what he wanted and oh-so-desperately needed.

Harry arrived at his flat just as the moon was reaching its peak in the star lit sky. It was a small complex, filled with mostly elderly patrons. Evergreens adorned the area, creating a musky, almost too much to handle pungent smell. The deep red brick building created an eerie blood color in the bright moonlight. Harry jammed his key in his designated flat and pushed the door in.

The inside was small, yet warm and inviting. He had yet to have any visitors so being young, he had yet to pick up after himself. Boxers lay haphazard on his large, plump couch. Dishes were strewn on many surfaces around the flat and a slight odd odor hung in the air. Harry loved it. It was his and he had all the say as to what he did what what he (obviously) did not do. Muggle and magical books were piled on his coffee table and were less than gingerly shoved in all available spaces on the book shelf. His TV, still on from earlier that morning, created a soft humming sound from his small, and even more cluttered bedroom.

Harry carefully set his bike against an available wall in the living room then made his way to the kitchen for a cup of tea. The kitchen was tiny, and only meant for one small person to move around in. The sink, oven and microwave all shared a small counter. The refrigerator stood on its own but took up the remaining space and the door only opened 3/4 of the way. Harry pushed aside a few dirty dishes to make way for his cup of tea. But when he shoved the mess aside, a loud _thud_ caught his attention. Harry carefully stooped to retrieve the fallen object. _Ah, I have forgotten about this_ Harry absentmindedly thought. It was a book he received from Hermione for his eighteenth birthday. _'My life and times: An in-depth look to a more Magical Me'. _It was a genealogy book that was accompanied with one small testing strip to test his blood to help him trace his genealogy. Hermione knew Harry wanted to know more about his family and their past but at the moment, Harry had ignored the book and continued to. '_I'll get around to that another day' _Harry promised himself as he placed it alongside the other mass of books he had acquired on his coffee table.

He finished his tea and bee-lined his way to the bedroom. As soon as he entered the cramped bedroom he started stripping off his work clothes. Harry was now a proud employee of a local fast food chain. Maybe proud was too strong of a word. But nonetheless, Harry poured his heart into his job, constantly reminded himself that this is as easy as life can get. Now only in his boxers (uniform tossed into a pile of 'I can still wear these' clothes) Harry propped himself up on his bed with pillows and sipped his tea as he gazed at his 12' TV screen. His thoughts wondered to all the corners of his mind until, eventually, his hand wandered underneath his boxers. He then relieved some stress, rolled over, and fell into a comfortable, dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm trying my hardest to write more detailed descriptions of scenery in my chapters. I think I'm getting better...hopefully! I know it's a little slow but I have big ideas for this story so please give me a chance! Thanks for reading ^_^

Chapter 3.

The days trickled by in almost a lazy obedient scheduled tune. Slowly, but inevitably, leaving Harry wondering if it was time to try and spice up his routine. But the cry of responsibility left Harry with little time to be inventive. _'I'll find my relief when Christmas comes' _Harry mused. Oh, how he dreamed of returning to the Burrow to see his old friends. His mouth and stomach a like ached for Mrs. Weasely's home cooked meals and his magic itched to find use of itself. That's another issue Harry has been facing. Since his need for magic has dwindled in the muggle world, he noticed the considerable strain his magic felt from being trapped. Almost as if it was alive inside Harry, he could feel it squirming. Harry feared this would cause bursts of accidental magic so he started researching wand-less magic. His days were filled with work and the few hours each night he had to himself, he spent pouring over dusty volumes he acquired from American magic book stores. Supposedly, wand-less magic required an enormous amount of magic and focus. Just attempting one spell left Harry feeling drained and powerless. But safe, nonetheless.

'_Captivoso' _Harry muttered under his breath. For the past hour Harry had his hand hovering over a limp quill that was set on his coffee table. The veins were throbbing in his hand from straining it, as if that would help the spell. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he felt as if he was out of breath. _'Captivoso! Captivoso!' _He hissed at the still quill. Defeated, he thrust himself back into his sofa and sunk in to the soft fabric. Letting out a sigh that sounded more like a soft growl he lifted his hands to his face. _'I should just go back to the magic_ _world.' _He told himself. _'No, I think you are enjoying this_' a little voice hissed inside of his head. _'You devised a problem with yourself, wand-less magic, and are appreciating the goal you cannot obtain'. 'Harry Potter needs an unreachable goal. Why do you even need this? You do not...You just like a challenge.' _Harry's eyes snapped open. His emerald eyes darted around his small flat. _'That's true, I came here looking for solace but that is obviously not me. I'm at my happiest when I am faced with impossible challenges'. _

He flung himself off the couch and thrusted his hand outwards '_CAPTIVOSO_' He roared, a little too loud, at the quill. It shuttered under his magic that was emanating off his hand, lifted a few centimeters than fell flat and lifeless back onto the coffee table.

*Tap tap tap* "Shut up over there!" Harry whirled around to stare at a blank wall as if to see something. "Sorry, sir" He called back to the blank wall. Heaving a victorious sigh, he flopped back down onto his sofa and proceeded reading the ancient scripts in a particularly dusty volume. _  
_

The following day Harry rode his bike to work as he usually did but today was different. Harry decided he was going to put his two weeks in and search for a new adventure. Harry strolled in to the restaurant and bee-lined his way to the managers office. He passed through the employee door and past the burger making station and the drive through. 'No, sir you did NOT order that with cheese' a disgruntled fellow employee tried to explain to a purple faced patron whom was parked out front the drive through window. Harry made his way past the possible argument and found himself in front of a door marked 'Manager'. He knocked then entered. Seated at the desk was a disheveled looking middle aged woman. She had thin pink glasses perched on a small nose, thick blonde hair that was knotted up in a bun, and a tie that was loose and hanging off her neck. 'Yes, Potter?' She muttered to the computer screen she was staring at. Out of nowhere, Harry started feeling nervous. _'The famous Harry Potter is afraid of quitting a dead end fast food job...I wish I could make up something funnier than this' _He thought. 'What's so funny, Potter?' Nancy, his manager snapped. Harry killed the grin on his face and ventured an explanation on his visit. Nancy nodded as Harry explained his want to quit, not once taking her blood shot eyes off of him. 'Okay, Potter, I'll let you finish out this week for your paycheck then you will be let go'. Harry didn't need the money, he just felt it would be wrong to quit without notice.

Harry suited up after the talk then made his way to his spot at the fry station. The day was long and _hot _but now the night was setting in and the gentle breeze coming in through the drive through window was welcomed and appreciated.

'Harry! I'm going to need three large fries over here!' Yelled on of the employees from the front counter. 'On it!' He yelled back to the front. They were steadily getting busier as the night drew closer and Harry started rushing. Without realizing what was about to happen, Harry accidentally slipped while holding the fry basket, letting the basket fly out of his hands and into the boiling hot oil. Oil splatter high into the air and came rushing towards Harry with almost a vendetta. Harry raised his arms and tried to squat further down to avoid the inevitable burning oil. But before he could realize what was happening, he saw a bright light behind his closed lids. Slowly opening them, he saw the disaster he caused. Slick oil outlined him and the walls but not one drop landed on him. He gently stood back up and looked around at the scene and noticed everyone in the restaurant was staring at him with awe smacked faces. Blood pounded through his veins _thump thump thump_ '_what the hell happened?'_. Before he could figure it out for himself he noticed a couple in the lobby, who obviously saw the scene, lean in towards on another and one whisper '_Harry Potter_' to the other. Everything at that moment seemed to be going in slow motion. His hand moved up to his forehead only to realize his hat was gone and his hair was askew, leaving him with a blatant lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

_Fuck. _


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

The next thing Harry knew, he was jogging to a nearby bus stop. He felt silly for running away but the tension of the situation was deemed unrecoverable by Harry. He had performed accidental magic in front of a dozen muggles. _'How brainless are you, Harry?!' _He scolded at himself. He slowed his pace to a stroll when he neared his destination. The bus stop sat nuzzled in the center of his town, only a few miles from the American version of Diagon Alley. Heaving a defeated and annoyed sigh, he slumped down on the designated bench. '_There is no need to be so frustrated...' _His annoying conscious told him _'The American Aurors have probably cleaned up your amateur mistake by now...'. _Probably. But it didn't help Harry from feeling like he stepped into the annoyingly accustomed to spotlight. _'Those wizards who witnessed everything are probably having a ball selling their story to the newspaper'. _Harry burned with embarrassment when he imagined tomorrows front page '_Harry Potter-the boy who is now blowing up American fast food chains...'._

Harry wasn't sure if there was an American version of the Knight Bus and didn't feel as if it would be a good idea to wave his wand around in broad daylight in a muggle town. '_Only one fuck up at a time, Harry.' _He told himself crudely.

The bus didn't take long to arrive, thankfully, because Harry started getting the sense that he was being watched. 'Where to?' Murmured the bus driver as Harry stepped into the dank smelling one decked bus. 'Er...Bergen street, please' Harry mumbled back, absentmindedly, as he looked over his shoulder. 'That'll be $3' Harry dropped the money into the mans hand then went to find a seat, almost lunging into a young man as the bus driver jerked the bus into motion as Harry was still making his way down the aisle. Truthfully, Harry preferred this bus over his near death experiences with the homicidal Knight Bus.

The sun was barely peeking past the tree lines as Harry exited the bus onto Bergen Street. He scowled at the coming night sky and mentally pummeled himself for leaving his bike at work as he dashed out like a mad man. Harry made his way down the first darkening ally he saw, found the most decrepit dumpster imaginable, lifted the lid, hopped in and closed the lid. Seconds later, there was a flash of light then deafening silence.

The difference with the American version of Diagon Alley (actually called Ong's Hat Lane) is that there is no one entrance, but nearly fifty. All within a 2 mile radius of Bergen street, several 'portals' were set up, mainly containers that muggles wouldn't dare want to get near to. If they did, wards were conveniently placed on all the portals to daze muggles and reroute them to a different area.

After the flashing light, Harry landed, bottom first, onto a dusty welcome mat. To his left and right, dozens of welcome mats sat stationary with the occasional witch or wizard landing on them out of thin air with a small 'pop'. Harry got up and dusted himself off and proceeded to one of the many exits of the medium sized brick building. As he entered Ong's Hat Lane, he breathed a sigh of relief to be around his own, again. Hundreds of brick and stone shops lined the streets, stacked haphazardly on top of one another, some reaching as high as six story's. Harry vaguely wondered if they were kept together with the help of magic. Small stalls and snack stands clogged the already busy streets and charmed mega phones gushed advantages for buying their particular products. Children zoomed just over head on charmed broomsticks that either glowed or extinguished sparks of light out of the straw ends of their brooms. Harry had to keep focus on where he was going to avoid tripping or bumping into any shoppers as they rushed to and fro on the packed shopping streets. After passing a large group of what Harry suspected were elves, he turned a sharp right and finally reached his destination. The golden words 'My Magical Mementos' were above an old fashioned wooden Victorian style door and just above a small silver bell that screeched 'ding dong' as Harry swung the door open.

The inside of the shop was just another repetition of what Harry just endured on the streets. Boxes of all sizes, shapes and colors were stacked from floor to ceiling, leaving a small maze like path to the front counter and back door. A stooped old balding wizard sat slumped over the counter, his eyes shut and a small amount of drool lingered on his fluffy white beard. 'Excuse me, sir' Harry half-yelled to the wizened wizard. 'Hmph...hmmm? Hem-hem!' Stuttered the attendant as he was drug out of his slumber. "What can I do for you, young man?" the wizard asked as he fumbled with his glasses. "I was hoping you had some floo powder, sir" Harry said anxiously. "Yes, yes I do young man, just wait here, hmm?" The wizard held up his pointer finger in motion to let Harry know to wait, all while never taking his eyes off of Harry as he strode to the storage room.

Minutes later, Harry was still waiting for the old man to return from the back storage room. "Probably fell back asleep" Harry huffed to himself as he leaned against a stack of boxes, which swayed, causing Harry to whirl around and become face to face with a pale face and black eyes. "Harry Potterrrrr" Came a silky hissing voice from its purple lips.

Then the world went black.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Darkness. Absolute darkness. No light and no sound. Just a choking pungent smell of wet stone and moist dirt. He was either underground or in a deep dungeon or basement. Harry had no idea how long he had been there. He was only awake for an hour at the most. But with no help from the outside atmosphere he couldn't tell what time of day it was. He laid there under the weight of chain that was clenched around his ankles. He tried to feel his surroundings and could feel nothing but cold stone and a thin cotton blanket that was draped on top of the stone he was resting on. Where was his wand?

With each minute that crawled by his fear starting creeping deeper into his imagination. He started thinking up more and more horrific situations he may be in. He tried to sit up but his head started pounding and he could feel something wet dripping down his head onto his shoulder. He moaned and rolled back over, hoping the darkness would embrace him back and send him back into the peaceful sleep before he awoke into a nightmare.

Unfortunately, that did not happen. Instead the nightmare continued. Either minutes or hours later, Harry couldn't tell, he started hearing the sounds of life somewhere nearby the room (or whatever he was in) where he was laying. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, light swelled in his dungeon dwelling and he could finally see where he was.

Harry rolled over to see the man from the magic shop he was at. He was a tall man with pearly white skin that was intensified by his long black cloak he was wearing. His eyes were watery black and his eyelids were as deep a purple as his corpse looking lips. Light blue veins could be seen through his neck and face. He slowly walked closer to Harry, carrying a blindingly bright torch. The closer he got, the bigger his grisly smile got, and he slowly revealed his long sharp, shark like teeth.

"Come" He hissed to Harry, waving long claw-like fingers at him. His black eyes danced in the torchlight and gave him the eerie appearance of madness. "It's time to meet Him." The skeleton man said as he unchained Harry's ankles. After gingerly placing the chains on the floor he reached an arm underneath Harry's armpit and helped him off the ground. Harry's stomach clenched at the man's stench. He couldn't explain the smell but it did not seem right at all.

Fear started surging through Harry as he was half lead and half dragged down a long, stone passageway. Light bounced dolefully along the walls, adding to the sense of dread Harry felt as they neared the end of the claustrophobic like passageway they were heading down.

Once at the end of the tunnel, the strange man steered Harry towards a single lonely door that stood ominously set alongside a window that gave sight into a cell similar to the cell Harry was kept in. The darkness was too thick to see if anyone was inside but Harry could swear he heard a soft moaning sound making its way through the bars of the window.

"Come, Harry Potter, there is no need to fear" Whispered the man. Of course, Harry didn't believe him but he felt no need for resistance. Maybe it was because he felt so drained of his energy or perhaps he was charmed he couldn't tell. All he knew was he dutifully followed the man through the creaky wooden door.

They emerged through the door into another large, stone room. A smoldering musty smell attacked Harrys senses and caused his eyes to water and sinuses to burn slightly. Once they reached the center of the room Harry could see several other creatures similar to the one that escorted him from his room. They sat as silent as statues in a half-circle. All wore grim expressions and long black cloaks, giving Harry the impression he had inadvertently stumbled upon a cult.

"Harry Potter" Whispered the largest creature-man in the semi-circle. His voice sounded as if his throat was coated with sand. "Sit, my son, we wish you no harm."

"What do you want with me, _sir?"_ Harry spat out, feeling his fear turn slightly into anger and frustration. "You kidnap me from a shop, chain me up, yet insist you are not trying to harm me?" Harry's nostrils were flaring now, he was no fool when it came to danger.

"We need keep a low profile, and if you like, I will explain everything to you. Just know you are not leaving until you hear what I need to say." The old mans eyes seemed to droop from the strenuous attempt of just speaking.

"Have at it then" Harry scoffed back at the decrepit man. The others shifted in their seats, an almost amused look on their faces. Some turned to each other and whispered feverishly. Harry swallowed hard and tried to keep his focus on the man/creature he thought to be their leader. "_Show no fear, Harry, you need to get out of this alive..."_

The old man chuckled before lunging into his winded story. "You see, my dear boy, you think you have ended a war but what you have done is started the real war". The man drew in a long, rattling breath. "You have defeated Riddle, bravely I might add, but what you failed to discover is that the real threat lies in his spawn. Several decades ago Riddle invested in coveting offspring for his dastardly plan of ridding the world of muggles any any magic folk with muggle blood in them. Now that Riddle has been defeated, his twins can now fully reach their magical potential and continue their fathers work. They have been groomed since birth to repeat the history that their father had laid out for them, and keeping them secret was imperative to keeping them safe. I doubt there is a soul alive, besides ourselves, that know of their existence. We needed to let you know this before they emerge as the two fiercest, darkest wizards the planet has ever seen"

Even with the dank coolness of the room they were in, Harry could feel the sweat dripping off his face. His mind was spinning to the point it made him feel ill. He couldn't process what this man was trying to say, it was obviously all a lie, right? "What are you?" Harry spat out before he could filter his thoughts.

"We are the product of the Twins experiments with necromancy. A mere project to test the boundaries of torture and death. They devised a spell that would not only render wizards with muggle blood completely magic-less, but torture us with with the curse of the vampyre. We are not what you would read in fairy tales, we have no real strength and cannot move about in the daylight. Our lives are have been undoubtedly cursed for centuries to come."

Vampires. That makes sense now. "How is it that I can help?" Harry questioned, his mind still buzzing with dozens of questions.

"Under this curse, we cannot arm ourselves with magic, we are weaker then muggles, if you will" The group of vampires were now all staring at him with unreadable expressions.

_"This is a trap, Harry, you need to RUN!" _Harry's brain was screaming at him to get out, this creatures were obviously insane. There is no proof of these so called twins and he wasn't sure he wanted to stick around to find out any more.

Harry dropped his head in exhaustion. "I listened to you, may you please give me my wand and let me leave?"

The vampires started murmuring but the 'leader' held up his hand to silence them. "In the next room you will find a fireplace and a small cup of floo powder at your disposal. You will be able to return here if you wish. Your wand is safe and sound at your residence."

Harry wasted no time crossing the room to a small door on opposite side. Just as he was about to turn the handle on the door he heard a small voice echoing from the group of vampires.

"We will be in touch, Harry Potter."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Upon entering his flat, he decidedly scanned the living room before making a full entrance and shutting the door behind him. _'Those things were here...I need to be diligent.' _Everything seemed fine, nothing out of place (not that he was even sure he'd realize, with his flat being a shit-hole). The only difference was his wand was neatly placed on his sofa, on top of his gift from Hermione. Harry lurched forward and snatched his wand up, inspecting it fully before peering down at the genealogy book. It was then he realized there was a small note was nestled next to the book. Harry cautiously set his wand down then picked up the small scroll and read it.

"_Harry-if you seek more information on the truth, this book will help you venture further down the rabbit hole-Patrick" _

Harry had no idea who Patrick may be but he automatically made the assumption it was a vampire. His heart started pounded as his curiosity got the better of his imagination. '_No, no no...I need to tell somebody about this first" _Harry decided to himself._  
_

He immediately started packing up his things, shrinking them to minuscule sizes with his wand than shoving them into his suitcases. Once he was sure everything was packed, he quickly scribbled a farewell note for his landlord, slipped it under her office door, then departed the complex, looking back only once to say goodbye to his dull time he had here then mentally prepared himself for yet another possible dangerous adventure.

Harry arrived at _The Burrow, _via the floo powder system with a stinging _thump_ (he nicked some extra floo powder from the kidnapping-happy vampires). Harry jumped up, dusted off his bottom, then peered around excitedly. He was now more overwhelmed with seeing his friends than he was to let them know there could be two other psychopaths running around in the world. He hadn't seen his mates since his departure shortly after Voldemort fell. The Burrow was a large, haphazardly build home, nestled in a quiet area in Devon, England.

The house was quiet, which was strange. The Weasely's were a family he met before his departure to Hogwarts, eight years ago. They were kind enough to show him how to get onto the platform he needed to board the train to school. He was then promptly (but unofficially) adopted by the large family of nine and became best friends with the youngest son, Ron Weasely. He then spent most holidays at The Burrow with the family and was finally, for the first time in his life, considered part of a loving family. This meant a great deal to Harry and he did not take his position in their family lightly. When Harry's parents were murdered at the hands of Lord Voldemort, when he was just one years old, he was dumped off at his mothers only living relatives house-the Dursley's. Even though they took him in, (kind-of) clothed and fed him, he was nothing more than the family's dog. Now, to this day, he disregards his blood relatives all together and considers the Weasely's his only true family.

Harry silently slipped through the house to find the rooms completely empty. _"Odd"_ Thought Harry. He then made his way through the back door and into the backyard.

Tall trees towered over the large grassy field behind The Burrow. Six Quidditch posts were set up close to the tree line and crude white lines were drawn on the ground to represent the area of pitch. Harry lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun to zero his sight in on a small spot that was moving around in the sky. The spot eventually turned out to be Ron Weasley whom was flying around his makeshift quidditch pitch.

"Ron!" Yelled Harry as he waved his arms in the air. Ron's head crammed around to see who was calling his name, saw Harry, and frantically waved back as he started his descent back onto the earth.

As Ron was soaring back to the grass Harry ran towards him, chest swelling with excitement to see his old friend again. They met half way and gave a quick embrace before remarking how much each other has changed in the past several months. Ron was sporting the classic Weasley red flaming hair but his face was now accompanied with a thick fire red beard and mustache. "You look a decade older, mate!" Harry gently teased. "Oi! That stings Har', best not to look like a little kid anymore dontcha think?"

They laughed and continued back to the house, chatting and smiling the whole way. Once inside they settled down in the kitchen as Ron started a kettle for tea.

"So why'd you stop by out of the blue, mate?" Ron questioned innocently as he fiddled with the stove. Harry furrowed his brow, thinking hard about how to bring up the truth to his visit. "Before I can tell you anything we need to get in touch with Hermione, I need to talk to the both of you."

This made Ron stop what he was doing and slowly approach the table Harry was seated at. "That bad, eh?" Ron said, sitting down next to him. "Hermione is actually on her way over here, she said she'd stop by after she does her hair up." Ron glanced over at a large gaudy wooden clock on the wall then back at Harry "I dunno how long it usually takes girls to fuss over themselves but probably fifteen more minutes."

Harry nodded, sullen, and quietly sipped his tea for a few minutes. Not much longer later, the two friends heard a commotion coming from the living room and they sprang to investigate. They emerged through the entrance to room only to find Hermione picking herself up off the floor-she ended up apparating on-top of a pile of books that were stacked dangerously in the middle of the living room. Hermiones face went from extremely annoyed to outrageously excited the second she noticed Harry. "Oh, Harry, how have you been!?" She squealed as she sucked Harry into a chest crushing hug. "Harry, you are so thin, let's get some lunch and listen to _everything _you've been doing these past few months."

"Uh...yeah, sure Hermione" Harry said awkwardly as Ron hid an eye-roll and a smirk behind her back. The once-again reunited trio made their way out of the Burrow into the sunny field outside and apparated to Diagon Ally.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Moments later, the trio ended up in Diagon Alley and bee-lined their way to Rosa Lee Teabag's tea shop. They entered with a gentle tinkling of a door bell being hit by the door behind them. Just as they were settling in, a busty pink-haired woman approached them with a wide toothy smile and dozens of bracelets jingling on her wrist. "What can I get you, my dears?" She said with a hearty voice. "Black tea and croissants for all three of us" Hermione answered, not looking up from her menu. Ron and Harry were not even paying attention, Ron was staring curiously at tea kettles that were gently dancing in the air above them and Harry was fingering the binding of the book Hermione gave him for his birthday.

"Harry, before you tell us why you need to talk to us, I need to admit something to you." Hermione said with a small forced smile. "I've been really worried about you since you left England for America. You see, I headed to Egypt to get hands on experience for a research paper I needed to do for a class I'm attending at the Englands Mystical University. When I was attempting to decipher hieroglyphics on a wall of an ancient temple in Thebes, I was approached by an old blind Egyptian woman." Hermione paused to take a sip of her tea that was just delivered by the waitress moments ago. "She gasped and grasped my hands in hers and started praying in the Ancient Egyptian language. I waited for her to finish before asking her what her intentions for that were. She spoke broken English, but what I got from what she was trying to tell me was that you still have yet to fulfill your true destiny of saving the wizarding world! I tried asking her what she meant but before I could, she left in a hurry, crying loudly."

When Hermione finished her story, the three sat there, lost for words. Harry was the first to speak up and break the silence. "I'm not too surprised because I was kidnapped by a group of dungeon dwelling vampires that basically told me the same thing." Hermione gasped and Ron sputtered into his cup of tea. "What!?" They said in perfect unison. Ron quickly wiped up his mess from almost choking on his tea as Hermione leaned forward and whispered loudly at Harry. "What did they say?"

Harry explained the whole story to them, starting from the point where he saw wizards at the fast-food restaurant, to getting kidnapped in Ong's Hat Lane, to waking up in a stone dungeon, and his conversation with a group of cursed vampires and their story about Voldemort's twins.

When he finished, his friends were looking at him with solemn looks. Hermione kept tugging on her curls and Ron was adding his eighth pack of sugar to his half empty cup of tea.

"And when I got home after the kidnapping fiasco, I had a note tucked next to the book you gave me for my birthday, Hermione." Harry said as he plopped the book onto the table with the vampire's note. Hermione snatched up the note and started inspecting it closely under the light of a floating cluster of candles. Ron let a snicker escape as he watched Hermione once again taking charge of a situation.

Once Hermione was finished with the note she looked up at her two friends and said "Well isn't it obvious? Harry needs to do his genealogy tree. This could be a huge piece of the puzzle." Harry nodded dully. He knew he needed to step up and investigate the budding dangerous situation that seemed to be brewing right underneath him.

The three friends left a generous tip and headed out of the shop and back onto Diagon Alley. Once back onto the bustle of the street, the group headed towards a deserted alley to apparate back to The Burrow. Hermione gripped her friends hands and with a deafening _whoosh_ and an uncomfortable tugging behind the naval, the three were transported to Ron's home.

Moments later, they were launched out of thin and air into the living room of The Burrow. They high tailed their way to Ron's bedroom upstairs and shut the door behind them. Hermione then whipped out her wand and placed silencing charms on the room before settling down to begin. Ron flopped down on a large, squishy Chudley Cannons chair he received from Harry for his last birthday. "I dunno guys...this could be just someone trying to mess with Harry. Like, someone who is in denial about You-Know-Who kicking the You-Know-What."

Hermione, who was sitting cross-legged on Ron's bed (which sported Chudley Cannon sheets) looked up from the genealogy book and huffed at Ron "Well, _Ron_, how could that explain the existence of vampyres? Pale skin, large teeth...I don't think anyone, especially a group of people, would bother going through so much trouble just to fool Harry. And if they wanted to harm him they could have done it easily while he was knocked out and wandless."

Harry gave Ron his sympathetic _'well, she has a good point' _look before turning back to Hermione. "How do you think my genealogy can have any part in this matter?" Harry asked Hermione as she skimmed through the directions. "I'm not sure Harry...oh, okay I see. I'm going to need some of your blood, Harry."

Harry obediently raised his right hand and held it steadily over his other and muttered '_Sanguioso'. _Seconds later, small droplets of blood began to form from an invisible cut on his palm. He then looked up to see his friends flabbergasted faces. "What?" Harry asked, trying to repress a smile as the scene was a funny one, indeed. Ron looked like he was attempting to stand up out of his chair but stopped mid-way and Hermiones eyes were bulging like saucers and her hand was covering her mouth. "Harry...where did you learn wandless magic?" Hermione whispered. "Uhh...some old dusty books I got while browsing around Ong's Head Land. I can't really remember the names of them though, I think it was something Latin."

Hermione straightened up and looked straight into Harrys face. She always did every time she had something very, very important to tell Harry. "Harry, wandless magic is almost impossible. The last person who was able to perform any sort of wandless magic died centuries ago. It was thought that her story was a myth!"

Harry didn't have an answer so he just sat there, mouth a-gape. "I-I-I dunno, Hermione, I just practiced every night while I was alone in America. It took months before I could really do anything. And blimey, I'm still really horrendous at it!"

Ron finally spoke up "I'm not sure what all this means, but all I know is, you may be loads more powerful than you thought, mate." Hermione nodded in agreement.

Hermione lifted the genealogy book up towards Harry and motioned it towards him. "Just let your blood drip on the blank pages" She said, eyes still slightly widened.

Harry complied, and when a few drops splashed onto the pages, Hermione gingerly shut the book and placed it on the bed. "Now we wait a few minutes for the book to work through the magic in your blood and map out your past"

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door. Ron rushed to answer, possible relieved to break the awkward silence. Ginny stood in the door frame, decked out in Quidditch gear. "Oi, you lot, fancy a quick game at the pitch?"

In all of Harry's life, he couldn't have imagined wanting to walk to play Quiddich like a normal person. But by all standards, Harry wasn't normal at all. All three of them shook their heads, careful not to make eye contact with Ginny.

Ginny scrunched up her nose at their dismissal. "Hey, who died?" She asked sarcastically. "No one, Ginny, sorry were just having a private conversation" Hermione said in a sweet voice. Ginny shrugged then walked off, waving at them behind her. Harry could feel immense jealousy towards her for being able to do so.

"Ok, I think the book is ready" Hermione whispered after Ron closed the door after Ginny. She gently opened the book and turned to the first 'branch' of Harry's family tree.

Harry's life will never, ever be the same again.


End file.
